Accurate Education – Marijuana (Cannabis): Terpenes and Anxiety

Terpenes and Anxiety

Terpenes are frequently promoted as having sedative and anxiety benefits. The following is a list of terpenes commonly believed to have sedative or anxiolytic effects:

1. β-Caryophyllene
2. Limonene
3. Linalool
4. Myrcene
5. α-Pinene
6. Phytol
7. α-Terpineol
8. Terpinolene

Anxiety – Cannabis strains and their terpenes, noted relative to their benefits for anxiety

 A 2018 publication evaluated (by surveys) the opinions of 442 patients using cannabis for medical purposes. Of these, 266 (60%) patients reported that they used cannabis to treat their anxiety whereas only 15% of these patients reported being diagnosed with a specific anxiety disorder.

Most Effective

The top four cannabis strains reported to be most effective for reducing anxiety were Bubba Kush,  Skywalker OG Kush, Blueberry Lambsbread and Kosher Kush. Three of these four are “Kush” varieties, which all share a similar chemotype with high levels of the terpenes: trans-nerolidol, myrcene, β-Caryophyllene, D-limonene and linalool. Kush strains contain genetics originating from the pure Indica strains found in the Kush mountain range in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan and North-Western India.  “Hindu Kush” strains of Cannabis were brought to the United States in the mid-to-late 1970s.

Click here for a graph of weighted average terpene concentrations for the top four most effective cannabis strains for anxiety (taken from “Cannabis and the Anxiety of Fragmentation—A Systems Approach for Finding an Anxiolytic Cannabis Chemotype”).

Minor Cannabinoids

Of note, while CBD has been identified as being effective for anxiety, in the strains identified in this study as being most effective for anxiety the cannabinoids cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabichromene (CBC) were measured at higher levels than CBD (0.68%, 0.13% and 0.075% respectively). It has been proposed that CBG may also have anxiolytic benefits.

Bubba Kush terpene profile (from industrialhempfarms.com):

Humulene (1.76%), Linalool (1.46%), Caryophyllene oxide (0.62%), Caryophyllene (0.4%), alpha-Pinene (<0.01%), Terpinolene (<0.01%), Myrcene (<0.01%),  beta-Pinene (<0.01%), Limonene (<0.01%).

Total terpenes 4.24%

Skywalker OG Kush terpene profile (from industrialhempfarms.com):

Humulene (1.77%), alpha-Pinene (0.88%), Myrcene (0.69%), Caryophyllene oxide (0.42%), Caryophyllene (0.37%),  Terpinolene (<0.01%), Linalool (<0.01%), beta-Pinene (<0.01%), Limonene (<0.01%).

Total terpenes 4.13%

Least Effective

Of the four cannabis strains considered least effective (but not necessarily ineffective), myrcene dominant strains and the terpinolene dominant strains were found to be less effective. These results could be due to different symptom etiology requiring different pharmacological interventions or may also arise from differences in personal biochemistry between patients with similar etiology.

For a complete analysis of weighted averages of all terpenes and cannabinoids for the top four most effective and least effective (for anxiety) cannabis strains in this study, click here (taken from “Cannabis and the Anxiety of Fragmentation—A Systems Approach for Finding an Anxiolytic Cannabis Chemotype”